Sentiments and Routine
by Keicai
Summary: Kevin and Eddy always make sure that Edd never has to eat breakfast alone.


**Sentiments and Routine**

Word Count: 1,645

Pairing: OT3 (Kevin, Eddy, and Edd), focused on Kevin/Edd, slight Kevin/Eddy, hints of Eddy/Edd

As they grew older Kevin, Eddy, and Edd found themselves in opposite spectrums of employment, causing their schedules to be vastly different from one another.

Some of this was intentional.

Edd was the only one who had a solid nine-to-five; his long-time love of knowledge and studying paying off in the form of an Ivy League school acceptance letter. There he earned a degree in biochemistry with the intentions of studying cells and high hopes of curing at least one disease, though truthfully he aimed for two. Wearing a lab coat and staring into a microscope all day was Edd's dream job and he enjoyed every second of it. The stability of the work week combined with the comfort he felt being surrounded by such sterility made Edd glad for all those thousands of hours of studying he had done over the course of his life.

Kevin succeeded in his high school goal of obtaining a football scholarship to a University. A Freshman-year injury, however, took him out of the sport competitively for good. With it he lost his scholarship, forcing him back home to attend the local (and much more affordable) community college. Secretly Kevin always thought this was a blessing in disguise as football had only ever been a means to afford college rather than a long-term plan. Not to mention the community college offered an awesome mechanical tech degree that quickly landed him a steady gig with the local repair shop. After so many years repairing his bikes and friend's cars it seemed to come naturally to him. The hours could be a bit sporadic if there was an emergency and sometimes he was needed to pull double shifts, but Kevin enjoyed the work which made the hours bearable.

Eddy attended a state University, not really caring to go too far but not really wanting to go to the community college either after reconciling his deep lack of caring for anything school-related. He studied business and found that his years of scamming turned out to be a great lead-up learning experience for a focus in marketing and sales. Eddy was very, very good at sales. His high graduating position in his class had several businesses vying for his employment which gave him free reign to choose which he liked most (which, naturally, was the one with the highest paying salary). While his job could theoretically have been the typical nine-to-five Eddy's experience and talents lead him to a position that involved one too many business trips and late-night phone and skype calls to clients attempting to convince them to invest in his company's products.

And so the three men, who had grown up living mere yards from one another, found themselves on completely different paths in life going in opposite directions.

Yet, If you asked them how they once again ended up living mere feet from one another, under the same roof, sharing the same bed, sharing so much more than 3 men normally ought to, each one would give a different answer. Truth be told none of them could remember exactly how it had come to be.

But it had.

And they were happy.

For each man having two lovers meant different things. Edd, who had so lacked the familiarity of family growing up, now had one in Eddy and Kevin. Kevin enjoyed the doting he was allowed with Edd and the friction he and Eddy still shared; the additional attention that came with a third lover was just an added bonus. Eddy took solace in being surrounded by two men who loved him for everything he was, fulfilling his need to fit in and be accepted. Things weren't always easy, all things considered, but each man took special care to make sure the others' needs were met to the best of his ability. This resulted in certain routines being developed and honed to optimize the happiness of each individual.

One such routine, one that Eddy and Kevin found extremely important but Edd would never admit to being as important as it really was, was the routine of Edd never having to be alone. Early on in their relationship Eddy and Kevin had come to the agreement that Edd had spent far too many years alone; coming home to an empty living room, eating in an empty kitchen, and falling asleep to the sounds of an empty house were things neither man wished for the most treasured of the trio. If asked, both men would admit that Edd was the glue that held their relationship together; Eddy and Kevin were far too similar to have succeeded alone and Edd's logical, calm, and exacting nature was the perfect balance to their too-oft arguments and bickering. If the glue that was Edd fell apart then everything else would fall soon after.

And that was something neither of them wished for.

So the two men arranged their schedules in such a way that one of them could always be there when Edd awoke and one of them could always be there when Edd returned home. Thankfully Edd's consistent schedule made that just as easy said as done. On the days when neither Kevin nor Eddy had to wake until long after Edd had departed for work it was still made sure that the tallest of their trio had company as he ate his breakfast.

Most days this company was Kevin.

Eddy had a tendency to sleep like the dead (much to Kevin and Edd's annoyance whenever it came time to wake him) and Kevin, in contrast, was a light sleeper. So much so that Edd's morning shower was his alarm clock Monday through Friday.

Once the gentle patter of water hitting tiles made the red-head stir he would rub the sleep from his eyes, ruffle Eddy's hair, and pull on whatever PJ pants he grabbed from the floor first, always hoping they were his or Eddy's as Edd's were always a tad snug, before making his way downstairs. Kevin wasn't quite as good a cook as Eddy was but over the years he had gotten the art of a veggie omelet, Edd's favourite, down to a science. The smell of grilled green peppers and onions filled the air by the time the lanky man made his way downstairs, fully dressed and ready for the day.

As Edd ate Kevin would gulp down a glass of water and make as much small talk as he could muster in his still sleep-hazed state. The other would laugh as the jock switched some of his words around and looked at his water like he was contemplating how good of a pillow it would make.

He seldom voiced the sentiment but Edd was always grateful for this routine. After having so many lonely mornings throughout childhood and high school he never realized how much he craved the simple company that another human provided at the kitchen table. Starting the day across from one of his lovers made all the hours after it all the more enjoyable.

As much as Edd attempted to draw out his breakfasts each morning, the clock still ticked forward as a gentle reminder of the time that would not slow for sentimental routines. Soon he would find himself putting his dishes in the sink for Eddy to wash when he awoke and grabbing his suitcase that was always by the front door, meticulously put together the night before. Kevin would see him to the door, stalling for time himself and resisting the urge to drag the man back to the warmth of the sheets and the body that still lay underneath them. Instead he reluctantly pulled Edd into a tight embrace, his lips going to the others neck as he whispered his goodbyes for the day.

"Stay safe. Find the cure to cancer. I love you, Edd."

The words made the taller man blush and the gap in his teeth, which he never had the heart to fix, showing behind the parted lips of a soft smile. Long arms found their way around the shorter man's shoulders and gave a tight squeeze.

"I will. On both accounts. I love you, Kevin. Please make sure you deliver Eddy a kiss upon my behalf once he wakes."

"As always."

Their embrace lingered until the last moment it could without the threat of Edd being late looming over them. Their departure ends with a kiss on the lips and Kevin watching as Edd slips into his immaculately-kept Prius and backs out of the driveway.

Kevin yawned and made his way back to the bedroom, wanting nothing but the sweet comfort of sleep now that Edd was safely seen out the door. As most mornings went, upon returning to bed the red head found his other lover had laid claim to most of it, which was quite impressive considering his short stature and the sheer size of the Californian King. A grunt and shove later Kevin managed to secure enough room for him to get comfortable. His last action before sleep claimed him was to reach out to Eddy and pull the short, chubby man against his chest, the other melding to the curve of Kevin's body without ever waking.

The bed was always a little too cold without its third occupant, Kevin felt, but it would only be the span of some hours until they all found themselves together at home once more. This thought brought a smile to his lips as Eddy's gentle snoring pulled him once again back to sleep.


End file.
